My First Jab — Daily Dose of Chemo

Despite looking scary, everything was well-organised. Each vial had dose for five recipient.

It has been a couple of weeks since my first vaccine jab. It was not as bad as I thought, and it was clear that the hospital was making an effort to make sure that the whole process went without a hitch.

I was among the first in the hospital to receive the jab, although we were pretty late in starting compared to my colleagues. However, this was not a race. It is best to get things organised to ensure that the supply side is under control, and the implementation was smooth.

SJMC will host jabs for other hospital’s staff as well. Hence the clear signage for those not familiar with the hospital.

Everything was laid out very well. After the initial registration, we hand in our IC and then had our MySejahtera app updated. Then came the consenting and health questionnaire. No issues here.

In under half an hour, I was already in the room waiting to receive my injection. After that was done, I scanned a unique QR code that came with my vaccine vials. I was ushered into an observation area where I sat down for 15 minutes before being allowed to take some drinks. That was it, three more weeks before the second jab.

It was not as bad as I thought. I could feel a tingle of cold when the injection went in, and that was about it. I have been told that the second jab may come with a bit more reaction. Thursday was my usual no-clinic day. I had a marrow biopsy to do in the afternoon, and by that time, I must say what my left shoulder was aching a bit. I left work early and spent the afternoon going for some trekking with Anita at Taman Tugu.

A bit more pain when I went to sleep that evening. I downed a couple of paracetamol, and the ache was almost gone the following day. Friday went on as usual, and by the afternoon, I almost forgot about the jab. For those worried about the jab, don’t worry. The staffs were well-trained, and although there might be an odd chance of reactions, help is near.